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Etymology
Dictionary
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Origin and Etymology of the word
VAGUE.
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From An Etymology
Dictionary of the English Language, by Walter W. Skeat, 1893 |
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VAGUE, unsettled,
uncertain. (F.,—L.)
It seems to have been first in use as a verb, parallel in use to vagary,
q.v. 'Doth vague and wander;' Holland, tr. of Plutarch, p.
231 (R.); 'To vague and range abroad;' id. p. 630 (R.) As an
adj. it is later. 'Vague and insignificant forms of speech;'
Locke, Human Understanding, To the Reader (R.)—F.
vaguer, 'to wander; vague, wandering;' Cot.—Lat.
uagari, to wander; from uagus, adj., wandering. β.
Connected by Fick, iii. 761, with A. S. wancol, unsteady, Skt. vang, to go, to
limp; from
✔WAG, a by-form of
✔WAK, to swerve, for which see
Vacillate. Der. vague-ly, -ness; and see
vag-abond, vag-ar-y, vag-r-ant.
From the same Lat. uagari we have extra-vagant.
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| Etymology
Dictionary Index |
| A, B,
C, D, E,
F, G, H,
I, J, K,
L, M, N,
O, P, Q,
R, S, T,
U, V, W,
X, Y, Z
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| Key |
| Arab.=Arabic. |
| A.S.=Anglo
Saxon. |
| Bavar.=Bavarian |
| Bohem.=Bohemian. |
| C.=Celtic,
used as a general term for Irish, Gaelic, Welsh, Breton,
Cornish, &c. |
| Corn.=Cornish. |
| Dan.=Danish. |
| Du.=Dutch |
| E.=English. |
| E.E.=Early
English. |
| Europ.=European. |
| F.=French. |
| G.=German. |
| Gk.=Greek. |
| Goth.=Gothic. |
| Icel.=Icelandic. |
| Ital.=Italian. |
| L. or
Lat.=Latin. |
| Lith.
& Lithuan.=Lithuanian. |
| M.E.=Middle
English. |
| M.F.=Middle
French |
| M.H.G.=Middle
High German. |
| Norw.=Norwegian. |
| O.F.=Old
French. |
| O.H.G.=Old
High German. |
| Pers.=Persian. |
| Port.=Portuguese. |
| Scand.=Scandinavian,
used as a general term for Icelandic, Swedish, Danish,
&c. |
| Sc.=Scottish. |
| Skt.=Sanskrit. |
| Span.=Spanish. |
| Swed.=Sweish. |
| Teut.=Teutonic |
| Turk.=Turkish. |
| W.=Welsh. |
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